


In Which They End Up In Central Park

by bisexy410plus10



Category: The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger
Genre: Fix-It, M/M, no idea ... i wrote this in highschool kjhdsfhkfdsa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:48:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29783961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexy410plus10/pseuds/bisexy410plus10
Summary: Holden Caulfield and James Castle become friends after his attempted suicide.
Relationships: Holden Caulfield/Other(s), James Castle/Holden Caulfield
Kudos: 1





	In Which They End Up In Central Park

I hardly knew James Castle.  
He was a skinny little weak-looking guy with wrists about as big as pencils.  
The only time I had a conversation with him was that time he asked me if he could borrow this turtleneck sweater I had.  
I didn’t even know I had a turtleneck sweater.  
They found him lying right on the stone steps and all. He was in critical condition apparently. An ambulance arrived soon, and Castle’s parents. I remember seeing his mom n’ pop rush to him in the stretcher. I shouldn’t have lent him that damn sweater. He probably thought he looked pretty sharp in that thing. Sharp enough to look like his cousin was actually taking him out for a drive. I stood with my bathrobe on in my dorm, watching the ambulance speed away through my window.  
A month later I got phoned by the hospital he was staying at.  
“Castle?”  
“Caulfield?”  
“One helluva fall you took last month huh?”, his laugh was light. I never heard it because he never laughed in Elkton or at all in all the time I remembered him. It wasn’t phony like he wanted to stop talking. Just tired, relieved actually. Sort of like like he hadn’t heard a joke in years or maybe he didn’t know what I was going to say.  
“You betcha. Stabile and his goons got me good.”  
“Hows the—”  
“Mostly healed up.” He knew what I was going to ask. Probably got the same question from every goddamn visitor. I was looking for something to say. If I was in the room, my thumbs would be twiddling probably. I was looking for something to say.  
“So what are you calling for. Do you need any work you missed? Not sure if I'm the best person to ask about that sort of stuff.”  
“No. My parents are transferring me out of Elkton.”  
“Oh.”  
“Do you plan on coming to the city any time soon?”  
“For the break, yeah.”  
“I was wondering since you’ll be in the city and all— Would you mind if I returned your sweater? I know it’s a little late. I promise there’s no blood on it or nothing though. My ma had it washed and everything.”, a smirk was creeping onto the right side of my face. This kid almost died and called to give me back my turtleneck that I completely forgot about.  
“Depends. Where are you staying?”  
“I’m getting discharged tomorrow.”  
“How about we meet somewhere then.”  
“You pick. I’ll bring the sweater and buy you a hot cocoa or somethin’.  
“How about central park, by the carousel? And you don’t have to do all that you know. I lent it to you in the first place.”  
“It's no trouble. Least I could do for messing it up so bad don’t you think?”  
“You know what? I think you do goddamn owe me for keeping it so long.”  
“Alright. See you then, Caulfield.”  
“You too, Castle.” I hung up.


End file.
